Additive manufacturing often starts by slicing a three dimensional representation of an object to be manufactured into very thin layers, thereby creating a two dimensional image of each layer. To form each layer, popular laser additive manufacturing techniques such as selective laser melting (SLM) and selective laser sintering (SLS) involve mechanical pre-placement of a thin layer of metal powder of precise thickness on a horizontal plane. Such pre-placement is achieved by using a mechanical wiper to sweep a uniform layer of the powder or to screed the layer, after which an energy beam, such as a laser, is indexed across the powder layer according to the two dimensional pattern of solid material for the respective layer. After the indexing operation is complete for the respective layer, the horizontal plane of deposited material is lowered and the process is repeated until the three dimensional part is completed. In order to protect the thin layers of fine metal particles from contaminants and from moisture pickup, the operation is performed under an atmosphere of inert gas, such as argon or nitrogen. These processes are limited in that they require a flat, horizontal surface which must be vertically adjusted, they are limited to two dimensional laser processing, they require a mechanically adjustable wiper whose wiping movement limits how a part can be built up, and they require an inert atmosphere. Consequently, there remains room in the art for improvement.